


Teach Me

by TruebornAlpha



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Deaf Derek, Deaf Scott, Fluff, High School AU, M/M, Younger Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 02:19:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2834573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr Prompt: Deaf Scott learning sign language from Derek </p><p>It’s a human AU where Derek is a senior and Scott is a freshman. Scott is dealing with slowly losing his hearing while Derek lost his hearing in a gas explosion that killed his family. Raf McCall is as always an insensitive jerk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teach Me

The ringing in his ears started when he was young. Tinnitus, they called it, but that word never really described what it was like. It would hum and echo, sometimes so loudly he couldn’t hear anything else and when he was little, he would cry at night because he couldn’t sleep. As he grew older, it was the high pitched sounds that faded first. Words became difficult to make out and voices muted into incomprehensible jibberish. He could still hear his parents fighting, his Dad insisting nothing was wrong with him and that all Scott needed was to pay more attention to people when they spoke instead of letting his mind wander. He was a lazy, distracted child, there wasn’t anything wrong with him except that he refused to listen.

Eventually he couldn’t even hear the yelling and that was the only time he was glad for the silence.

Stiles stuck by him, making up their own language of quick gestures and grins, communicating almost by telepathy with an accuracy that left everyone around them confused. Scott didn’t need anything else, he was already invisible at school and ignored by his classmates, the silence couldn’t isolate him more than he was already. It was easy to smile and nod, he could catch people’s meaning in their body language and learned to be good at lying as he played the distracted dreamer so no one would know how badly it had gotten.

It was harder to hide things from his mother. Even with her busy schedule at the hospital, it was clear that Scott had withdrawn. She would come home from work to see him sleeping peacefully on the couch, the television set blaring and completely unnoticed. When she called for him, he’d never react until he was touched, starting at the brush of skin and covering for his mistake.

“Scott, we need to have you see someone about this.”

“I’m fine.” The boy pulled away with a scowl, immediately sorry when he saw the worry flash across his mother’s face. “Mom, I’m fine, I promise. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“I know a specialist at the hospital, I’m sure we could get someone to do a few tests.”

“And then what? What if there’s something wrong and they can’t fix it. What if it’s just like this forever?” Scott could almost hear his father’s words echoed in his own. He was broken, he was sick. He was just a lazy worthless punk who ignored everyone around him. “I’ll try harder, I promise. I just need to focus more, I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Oh, Scott.” Melissa pulled the boy into her arms, resting her chin on the top of his head. He was already growing so fast, too soon she wouldn’t be able to do this anymore. “This isn’t your fault, baby. I’m going to schedule an appointment.”

“But mom-”

“I want you to do this for me, please? Or I’m just going to keep worrying forever.”

Scott sighed and gave in with a nod.

The doctor had been sympathetic, but it was his mother’s face as she held back tears that stuck with him. He was losing his hearing, his right ear was almost completely gone and the left was already fading. They suggested hearing aids and other potential treatments that could help once those stopped working, but everything was expensive and Scott watched his mother worriedly. They couldn’t afford any of this and he held her hand to try and reassure her. It wasn’t fair, his father might have been wrong, but he was still such a burden for her. Melissa rallied, sweeping Scott up into her arms and determined to find a way to help her son.

___

Scott drifted at school, feeling lost. Not even Stiles’s cheesy jokes and emergency pocket full of sour patch kids could make him smile. This was going to be the way it was. Part of him had always assumed that it was his fault, that his Dad was right and he just found ways to tune out everything he didn’t want to listen to. Finding out he was going to lose everything wasn’t even a relief, it terrified him that he was going to be cut off completely. The doctors couldn’t even tell him how long it would take, months or even years before the silence pressed in and there was nothing.

He stumbled as a heavy weight slammed into his shoulder, an older boy brushing past with a flurry of hand motions that left him dizzy. Scott immediately apologized, trying to step out of the way. “I’m sorry.”

The brunette stopped and signed again, waiting for Scott to respond. He shook his head helplessly. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re saying.”

The older boy huffed and slowly spelled out a word with his hands, mouth moving along so Scott could read.

“Derek? That’s your name?” He received an affirmative nod and smiled, pointing to himself. “I’m Scott. You can’t hear me?”

Derek laughed silently, making a motion around his ears before pointing at Scott’s new hearing aid.

“Oh, it uh…it works. A little. I mean, it helps.” Scott oomphed as the other boy tossed him a basketball, catching it awkwardly against his chest. “You’re serious?” Derek gestured again with an exasperated eyeroll and Scott broke into a wide smile.

“Do you know a Derek?” He asked Stiles when he got home hours later, settling on his bed with their math books spread around him.

“Oh, that Hale guy? Giant broody eyebrows and stuff?” Stiles mimed eyebrows with his fingers. “I’ve seen him around, he’s kind of always grumpy. I think he’s on the basketball team? Pfft, who even plays basketball these days.”

“I think he’s deaf.”

“Oh.” Stiles chewed his pen thoughtfully. “There was something about an accident with his family when he was younger, remember? Maybe that’s why?”

“Maybe.” Scott leaned into his best friend for a moment before Stiles’s fingers found their way between his ribs and he squawked.

“You think he’s cuuuuute. I know that look, Scotty.”

“I do not! I just thought maybe he was…you know. Like me?”

“Like you and cuuuuute. Oh my god, you have to tell him.” Stiles teased, dodging a solid smack. “Scott, you have to tell him.”

“Because that would go over well. Hello, I have no idea who you are but I think your face would look awesome on my face. Would you like to go out with me?” Scott covered his face with a pillow and wished he could sink into the floor. Stiles refused to let his friend give up and grabbed Scott around the wrist, yanking him off the bed and over to the computer.

“Exactly, and you’re going to learn!”

___

Scott would have avoided the meeting with Derek if Stiles hadn’t followed him around all day and angrily waved fingers at him every time he tried to get out of it. There was no hope, no one on earth was more stubborn than Stiles Stilinski and eventually Scott had to give in for his own safety. He waited outside of the locker room for basketball practice to be over, studiously ignoring the faces Stiles was making down the hall. As the players started to filter out, he grabbed Derek by the sleeve until the older boy stopped and looked at him with one eyebrow quirked.

“I, um…” Scott’s hands fluttered nervously as he tried to remember how the words. [Would you teach me how to sign?]

Derek blinked at Scott in surprise, a small smile breaking through his stern expression as he mimicked the other boy’s hands, correcting the small mistakes. [Like this]

He tried again and Derek’s smile grew as he put his hands over Scott’s to guide his fingers into position, the younger boy’s heart thudding in his chest. [Would you teach me how to sign?] When Derek was finally satisfied, he nodded and signed his answer.

[Yes.]

Stiles whooped from down the hallway, feeling smug and fist pumping his victory. Stilinski Matchmaking Services had a nice ring to it, Scott owed him one. Now, who would be the next victim….”Hey Boyd, wait up!”

**Author's Note:**

> You can read Rune/TruebornAlpha [Here](http://fightingforthepack.tumblr.com/) and find her on tumblr at [ Runicscribbles](runicscribbles.tumblr.com)


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